i have recently switched from using..gasp! fram ph3600 filters on my 3.0 v-6 ranger to the napa silver 21516's. i know these are made by the wix corp, and that they are not as good as the gold napas, but in the fellas opinions, is this a step up? i rarely go over 2 thousand miles between changes, as i use a conventional oil,{pennzoil,5w30 dino,} and work is less than 2 miles from home. thanks for the help!

actualy, it really doesn't take that long to rack up the 2 thou. i have a side job that takes me on rather long drives on the weekend. i figure that's a plus, as it helps get rid of some of the acids and such from the short commute to regular work. less than the popular 3000mi, thanks for the reply!

When my brother got his 95 Camaro with the 3.4L V6 it had an extended Napa Silver filter on it, #21036 if I remember right. I recently changed his oil for him and cut it open as I was curious to how well it was made. It was just like the Wix and Napa Gold filters and seems a good buy for $2.

I've heard that before. Have a feeling the silvers change over time. Some might be Wix, if only because they don't have a cheaper source? Don't know. The two I opened were common Chrysler fits and they were completely different from my Wix made equivalents (Wix and NAPA gold labels).

I've cut open one Napa Silver filter (for a Toyota), and it looked good. My feeling is that Napa (or maybe Wix) may get these from different sources depending on the filter model so they have a full line...some OK and some not OK. Hey, Silver filters are 99¢ every Sunday at the local Napa store--so I bought one to cut open.

thanks guys for the posts! the napa silver i purchased today at least, appears to be, in fact a wix. it has the 6 large oil inlet holes, with only the black anti-drainback valve visable through them, the 6 "notches" that hold the gasket in place, and through the center outlet hole, the bypass valve spring is visable. shiny back plate too! at least this is what i have read are typical ways to identify a wix. maybe they are supplied by different companies though for napas in other states. i live in va, which isn't far from gastonia nc, which is where i beleive the wix are made.